Fair, or Fare, Life isn't free.

Yesterday I listened to a discussion on the attempt to not hold recognition ceremonies because they aren't fair to those that don't compete or win.  If our children don't have goals and win from time to time, how can they understand what it feels like to be a winner? You don't have to win all the time, but in all fairness, if you don't buy a Lottery Ticket you sure as hell will never win.   

I am probably one of those strange ducks that can see you win and be glad for you.    I can internalize your victory, your promotion or awards and know what it feels like because in my world I got to lose and win.  One year I played on the Meadowlarks in the Beech Aircraft little league.  We didn't win a game all year.  By Tournament time we were a bunch of losers and most of us felt like it.  Our Coach told us at the first game of the tournament that we weren't having any fun at all and we needed to go out there and just play and have fun.  We won our first game and it sure as heck felt good.  We beat the first place team in the League the second game and were solidly in the winners bracket. By the final, we were sitting in the winners bracket as undefeated.  That first place team came out of the loser's bracket and beat us by one run.  had our team not won any games in the tournament, it is quite possible that none of us would have played for the Meadowlarks the next year.  As it was, we mostly came back and did well the next couple of years.  We did give that name to another team and were the Eagles the rest of the time.  It was interesting that the team called the Meadowlarks didn't win a game their first year also.  

Now on to the subject of Fare.  Nothing in life is free.  Me must all pay the fare to ride on any system from our form of Government to a form of Transportation.   It is just how much of the fare paid by any one or group of people is Fair.  

Almost every day, I spend a few moments watching the birds eat the seeds and suet I provide.  I don't do that to feel powerful or to control the birds.  I do it because I love to watch the different kinds of birds come in and see how colorful they are.  I have a trail camera to watch the turkeys, deer and critters eat what I provide.  There is no motivation to hunt them down, only to see them as they come in to the feeding station down the hill.  I do put a limit on how much I feed each day as I don't want them to forget how and where they can also find other food.   I guess there is a limit on how much I can spend on critter food, but I am far from that limit.  I sure as hell wouldn't ask anyone to raise my debt limit so I could feed more deer. 

A couple of weeks ago, our dog, Taco, started limping around the pen.  I checked him over and noticed that his toenails were too long.  He let me clip them but that didn't fix the problem.  I took some time and noticed that he had a tumor under his right front leg and it was really getting big.  When I saw him lying in the snow it was pretty apparent that he was in pain and I hate to see any animal suffer.   I can't tell you how many times a day I look out the window to check on Taco but alas, he is no longer out there.  I'll skip the details, but he went quick and as painless as I could make it.  He joins many dogs and a Bob Cat buried here on Rabbit Run.  Like all of my pets, he has a place in my heart.

If you don't think this is me, look at the chubby cheeks in the bottom picture

I call this my too fat for wrinkles picture

 
From the beginning to the near the end, life has been wonderful to me.  I have always paid my fare and life wasn't fair but through hard work, a good education and a hearty smile it has been a blast.  I hope you all can say one day you like me, have everything you need, most of what you want, money in the bank and a Wal*Mart nearby.

MUD